Can you imagine jury selection for this one . The United lawyer is going to have a hard time finding one potential juror who thinks that United are just fine....
....The U.S. Department of Transportation released a statement late Monday saying it’s reviewing the removal of the passenger “to determine whether the airline complied with the oversales rule.” The agency added that “it is legal for airlines to involuntary bump passengers from an oversold flight when there are not enough volunteers” and that “it is the airline’s responsibility to determine its own fair boarding priorities.”.....
[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]....[/background]Overbooking pays off, too: Airlines almost always make more from the extra fares than they give back to volunteers in future-travel vouchers. When an airline can’t find enough volunteers—“involuntary denied boarding,” as regulators call it—the cost can run as high as $1,300 cash per passenger under revised rules adopted in 2011....
[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]....[/background]But as for the man United removed, he probably has little legal recourse. This is because of the “broad discretion” airlines have under their carriage contracts, said Dan Lear, an attorney in Seattle. The carrier also could argue that a passenger who refuses instructions to exit has become belligerent and thus “a security risk” for the crew, he said.